NIU's offense has been unstoppable lately

They've put up numbers most video gamers would be jealous of, even brag about for weeks.

The school record for points already was shattered Nov. 20 and with two games left the Huskies will approach an almost untouchable status. Running back Chad Spann, who leads the nation in touchdowns among running backs, earned the Mid-American Conference's Vern Smith Leadership Award and was named the Offensive Player of the Year to boot. His only real competition was his quarterback in Chandler Harnish.

NIU coach Jerry Kill likes to tell his team that if the offense can score 30 points, the Huskies will win because of the defense. The Huskies have more than doubled that twice in the past three games. They just missed doing it against Ball State, when they only put up 59 points.

As unstoppable as the Northern Illinois offense has been, players still feel like improvements can be made entering tonight's MAC Championship Game against Miami (Ohio).

"We don't come close to executing as well as we can every week," Harnish said. "I think that's attributed to how good we can be. Coaches have done a great job putting us in the right positions. If we can execute to our fullest, they sky is definitely the limit for our offense."

Kill credited NIU's wide receivers this week as one of the major reasons why the Huskies have exploded on offense as of late. Four of NIU's top five wide receivers already set career highs in yardage for a season.

"I think we just go out there and play," wide receiver Nate Palmer said. "We're not really focused on how many points we're putting up or anything, we just go out there and let it all hang loose on the field. It's a product of coaching hard. We do so many reps in practice to where it just becomes second nature so we just go out there and play."

The Huskies hope that focus continues tonight against the RedHawks while NIU attempts to end a 27-year MAC title drought.

"The thing about it is I've been asked, 'Hey coach, do you feel like you've had a good season?' You bet. Anytime you win 10 games that's a good season," Kill said, "but we talked all year about the journey we were on and we wanted to get to Detroit, and now you have to finish the journey."